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The stablecoin market is once again in the spotlight after Tether minted another $1 billion USDT just a few hours ago. This fresh injection of liquidity comes at a time when the crypto market is entering a volatile phase, with uncertainty surrounding both macroeconomic conditions and investor sentiment. Bitcoin and altcoins are beginning to show shifting dynamics, and stablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle are emerging as critical players in shaping these movements.

Large mints from Tether have historically coincided with aggressive price swings across the crypto market, as the arrival of new liquidity often fuels increased trading activity. Whether this supply is immediately deployed or gradually filters into exchanges, the effect on market psychology is significant. Traders and investors frequently view such events as early signals of potential inflows into risk assets.

With Bitcoin consolidating near key levels and altcoins attempting to recover from recent corrections, the timing of this mint underscores the importance of stablecoins in the broader ecosystem. As liquidity expands, the coming days could see heightened volatility, with the possibility of strong directional moves. For now, all eyes are on how this $1 billion issuance will ripple across the crypto landscape.

Tether and Circle Add Liquidity Into The Market

According to data from Lookonchain, Tether and Circle have minted a combined $12.75 billion in stablecoins over the past month, marking one of the most significant liquidity injections in recent cycles. This expansion underscores the crucial role stablecoins play in the crypto ecosystem, acting as the backbone of trading activity and serving as a bridge for capital flowing into risk assets.

The timing of this surge is notable. Bitcoin and Ethereum are consolidating near critical levels, and altcoins are beginning to show signs of renewed momentum. Historically, large stablecoin mints have preceded uptrends in crypto markets, as fresh liquidity provides the fuel for traders and institutions to deploy capital more aggressively. The $12.75B increase, therefore, reflects more than just stablecoin supply growth—it signals a market preparing for potential expansion.

Still, risks remain elevated. Some analysts caution that the broader economic environment is highly unpredictable, with lingering concerns over global growth, inflationary pressures, and liquidity conditions. The volatility of traditional markets often bleeds into crypto, making sudden swings a persistent threat.

All eyes are now on the US Federal Reserve, with investors widely anticipating a rate cut at next week’s meeting. Such a move would reinforce the bullish implications of the stablecoin surge, further boosting liquidity and supporting higher valuations across digital assets. Conversely, any hesitation or unexpected policy shift could magnify uncertainty, creating sharp volatility.

USDT Dominance Suggests Risk Appetite

Tether (USDT) dominance currently stands at 4.29%, showing a modest decline after testing resistance near 4.5%. The weekly chart reveals that USDT’s market share has been in a gradual downtrend since peaking above 9% in mid-2022. This decline reflects a healthier appetite for risk assets, as capital shifts out of stablecoins and into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins.

The 50-week SMA at 4.67% and the 100-week SMA at 5.02% are both trending lower, confirming persistent weakness in dominance. Meanwhile, the 200-week SMA at 5.78% sits well above current levels, acting as a ceiling that reinforces the longer-term bearish structure for USDT’s market share. As long as USDT dominance remains below the 5% threshold, the market backdrop favors capital rotation into risk assets.

However, short-term support has emerged around the 4.2%–4.3% zone, where dominance has stabilized multiple times this year. A breakdown below this range would likely signal further risk-taking by investors, potentially fueling stronger rallies in crypto. Conversely, a bounce back toward 5% would indicate rising caution and renewed demand for stablecoins.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

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Stablecoin issuer Tether is one of the largest corporate accumulators of Bitcoin over the last 12 months, adding more coins to its treasury than nearly all spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

On Sept. 8, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino shared data showing that the stablecoin issuer secured more than 27,700 BTC in the past year.

Of that amount, around 7,900 BTC were placed directly into the reserves backing USDT, while an additional 19,800 BTC were allocated to Twenty One Capital (XXI), a digital asset treasury fund to which Tether contributes.

The purchases put Tether ahead of several mid-tier ETF inflows, including VanEck’s HODL, Bitwise’s BITB, Ark 21Shares’ ARKB, and WisdomTree’s BTCW.

Yet the stablecoin operator’s buying remains modest compared with heavyweights like BlackRock’s IBIT, which absorbed 394,600 BTC, Grayscale’s mini Bitcoin trust, which added 44,200 BTC, and Fidelity’s FBTC with 27,900 BTC.

Ardoino’s breakdown highlights how the company has divided its Bitcoin strategy between backing its stablecoin and building longer-term investment positions.

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Tether’s Bitcoin embrace

Tether began its structured Bitcoin acquisition in May 2023, pledging to allocate 15% of quarterly profits to the asset. That commitment established the company as one of the few major corporate actors with a standing policy to direct profits into Bitcoin.

However, its strategy has also faced scrutiny. Recently, YouTuber Clive Thompson claimed Tether had sold more than $1 billion worth of Bitcoin to help fund a $1.6 billion gold purchase, citing changes in the company’s public asset disclosures.

Ardoino responded by saying the decline in visible Bitcoin reserves was tied to transfers into XXI, not liquidations. He reiterated that Tether plans to maintain a diversified reserve strategy that includes Bitcoin, gold, and real estate.

Despite the debate, Tether’s holdings now total 100,521 BTC, valued at roughly $11.36 billion at current market prices.

Data from Bitcoin Treasuries ranks the company as the third-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin worldwide, trailing only Strategy, which recently rebranded as Strategy, and Block.one.

Mentioned in this article

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, the issuer of the largest stablecoin USDT, took to X on Sunday to refute claims about the firm selling its Bitcoin (BTC) to invest in gold. In his post, Ardoino wrote that “Tether didn’t sell any Bitcoin,” adding that:

“While the world continues to get darker, Tether will continue to invest part of its profits into safe assets like Bitcoin, Gold and Land.”

How the rumor started

On Sept. 6, YouTuber Clive Thompson claimed that “recently, Tether has been buying gold and selling Bitcoin.” Thompson’s assertion was based on an examination of Tether’s statements of assets.

According to Thompson, Tether sold over $1 billion BTC and purchased over $1.6 billion gold in the last quarter. This indicates that Tether is dumping Bitcoin in favor of gold, as per Thompson.

Flaws in Thompson’s claims

Jan3 CEO Samson Mow pointed out flaws in Thompson’s theory based on public data. In an X post, Mow explained that Thompson arrived at the wrong conclusion since he assumed that a fall in BTC holdings of Tether automatically meant they sold it for gold.

In the first and second quarter of this year, Tether reported holdings of 92,650 BTC and 83,274 BTC respectively. According to Mow, Thompson forgot to factor in Tether’s funding of a separate project called Twenty One Capital (XXI). Tether transferred 14,000 BTC on June 2 and 5,800 BTC in July, sending a total of 19,800 BTC to XXI.

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Therefore, Mow explained that Tether had 4,624 BTC more in Q2 2025 than the previous quarter. Accounting for July’s transfer, Tether “has (at least) a net increase in Bitcoin holdings of 10,424 BTC,” Mow wrote.

Consequently, Mow dismissed Thompson’s claim as “false” and labeled it a “desperate” attempt to create bearish news surrounding Bitcoin.

Tether’s deepening relationship with Gold

The latest development surrounding Tether comes just days after the company announced that it’s looking into investing in gold mining firms. But Tether has been diversifying into gold for a while.

In June, the stablecoin issuer spent $90 million to acquire a substantial stake in a company specializing in gold royalties. Earlier this week, Tether announced that it will pour another $100 million into the same firm—Elemental Altus Royalties Corp.

Additionally, Tether issues the gold-backed stablecoin Tether Gold (XAUT)—XAUT is backed by about 7.66 tons of gold stored in Switzerland. Around 5% of USDT reserves is also held in gold by Tether.

Mentioned in this article

By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)

As both traditional and crypto markets await the U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, some unrelated news hit the wires, underscoring gold’s appeal as a universal haven.

The Financial Times reported that Tether, the issuer of world’s largest dollar-pegged stablecoin, is considering a serious play in the gold industry. CEO Paolo Ardoino has said the metal is safer than any government currency, calling it a perfect complement to bitcoin.

If the report, which cited people familiar with the talks, comes to fruition, it could mean crypto is about to become a bigger part of gold’s reflexive bullish cycle. The precious metal is already soaking up strong bids globally as sticky inflation, fiscal headaches and concerns over central bank independence weigh on investor. Countries are trimming their U.S. Treasury holdings and scooping up gold as a safer, sanctions-proof haven.

Tether’s interest could also boost the appeal of Tether Gold XAUT$3,554.92, which is issued by its affiliate company TG Commodities. Each XAUT represents ownership of one fine troy ounce of physical gold and was recently price around $3,560.

Meanwhile, the prospects for bitcoin BTC$112,644.00, ether (ETH) and the wider crypto market are likely to be determined by the jobs report.

“A weak print will cement expectations for a 25bps rate cut, likely softening the dollar and easing Treasury yields, which will be positive for risk assets, including crypto,” Timothy Misir, head of research at BRN, said in an email. “But the real risk is a strong report: even a modest upside surprise could unwind dovish positioning, send yields higher, and pressure BTC and ETH back toward their support levels.”

In other key news, institutional activity points to interest broadening beyond BTC and ETH. DeFi Development Corp. recently bought over 196,000 Solana SOL$207.70 tokens, establishing a treasury worth some $427 million. And Thumzup Media, backed by Donald Trump Jr., said it acquired $1 million of BTC, along with new purchases of DOGE, LTC, SOL and XRP.

In traditional markets, the MOVE index spiked, signaling increased volatility in U.S. Treasury yields, which could lead to financial tightening and weigh on risk assets. Stay alert!

What to Watch

• Crypto
• Macro
  • Sept. 5, 8 a.m.: The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) releases July producer price inflation data.
    • PPI MoM Prev. -1.25%
    • PPI YoY Prev. 3.24%
  • Sept. 5, 8:30 a.m.: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases August employment data.
    • Nonfarm Payrolls Est. 75K vs. Prev. 73K
    • Unemployment Rate Est. 4.3% vs. Prev. 4.2%
    • Government Payrolls Prev. -10K
    • Manufacturing Payrolls Est. -5K vs. Prev. -11K
  • Sept. 5, 8:30 a.m.: Statistics Canada releases August employment data.
    • Unemployment Rate Est. 7% vs. Prev. 6.9%
    • Employment Change Est. 7.5K vs. Prev. -40.8K
  • Sept. 5: S&P 500 Rebalance update released after market close. Strategy (MSTR) is one of the companies being considered for inclusion in the index.
  • Sept. 5, 7 p.m.: Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics releases August consumer price inflation data.
    • Inflation Rate MoM Est. 0.2% vs. Prev. 0.28%
    • Inflation Rate YoY Est. 5.11% vs. Prev. 4.9%
  • Sept. 5, 7 p.m.: El Salvador’s Statistics and Census Office releases August consumer price inflation data.
    • Inflation Rate MoM Prev. 0.33%
    • Inflation Rate YoY Prev. -0.14%
• Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
  • Sept. 9: GameStop (GME), post-market, $0.19

Token Events

• Governance votes & calls
  • Uniswap DAO is voting on deploying Uniswap v3 on Ronin with $1M in RON and $500K in UNI incentives to make it the chain’s primary decentralized exchange. Voting ends Sept. 6.
  • Lido DAO is voting on a proposal to migrate Nethermind’s ~7,000 Ethereum validators to infrastructure operated by Twinstake, a staking provider co-founded by Nethermind. Voting ends Sept. 8.
  • Uniswap DAO is voting to establish “DUNI,” a Wyoming DUNA as its legal entity, preserving decentralized governance while enabling off-chain operations and liability protections, with $16.5M in UNI for legal/tax budgets and $75K UNI for compliance. Voting ends Sept. 8.
  • Uniswap DAO is voting on an updated Unichain-USDS Growth Plan to accelerate adoption through performance-based incentives and DAO-guided distribution. The proposal introduces minimum KPIs, a “no result, no reward” model. Voting ends Sept. 9.
• Unlocks
  • Sept. 9: Sonic (S) to unlock 5.02% of its circulating supply worth $46.02 million.
  • Sept. 11: Aptos APT$4.3254 to unlock 2.2% of its circulating supply worth $48.86 million.
  • Sept. 15: Starknet (STRK) to unlock 5.98% of its circulating supply worth $15.66 million.
  • Sept. 15: Sei SEI$0.2930 to unlock 1.18% of its circulating supply worth $16.01 million.
  • Sept. 16: Arbitrum ARB$0.5034 to unlock 2.03% of its circulating supply worth $46.05 million.
• Token Launches
  • Sept. 5: WORLDSHARDS (SHARDS) to be listed on Binance Alpha, MEXC, Gate.io and others.
  • Sept. 5: Boost (BOOST) to be listed on Binance Alpha, Bitget, MEXC, BitMart, and others.
  • Sept. 8: Openledger (OPEN) to be listed on Binance Alpha, MEXC and others.
  • Sept. 8: OlaXBT (AIO) to be listed on Binance Alpha and others.

Conferences

The CoinDesk Policy & Regulation Conference (formerly known as State of Crypto) is a one-day boutique event held in Washington on Sept. 10 that allows general counsels, compliance officers and regulatory executives to meet with public officials responsible for crypto legislation and regulatory oversight. Space is limited. Use code CDB15 for 15% off your registration.

Token Talk

By Oliver Knight

• The memecoin sector had shown signs of fading earlier this year, particularly after the short-lived hype cycles around tokens like TRUMP and MELANIA in January. Those launches briefly captured attention, but failed to sustain momentum, reinforcing the perception that the memecoin trade was exhausted after 2023’s frenzy.
• Both subsequently slumped. TRUMP is now 88% lower and and MELANIA is down 95% despite being touted by the U.S. president and first lady in January.
• However, there’s a new kid on the block: MemeCore, a layer-1 blockchain solely focused on transitioning memecoins from speculative assets to something that has utility in decentralized finance (DeFi).
• The platform’s native token, M, has risen by 261% in the past week despite a wider market pullback.
• The flurry of activity can also be tied to the MemeX liquidity festival, which offers $5.7 million in rewards to traders. It’s worth noting that 85% of the trading volume has taken place on decentralized exchange PancakeSwap, indicating significant retail flows as opposed to on-chain utility.
• While some may argue this is just another flash in the pan, the surge demonstrates just how quickly memecoin sentiment can shift.
• The positive sentiment around MemeCore could find a way of moving back to Solana-based memecoin platform Pump.fun, whose $15.8 million in daily revenue in January has tumbled to between $1.5 million and $2.5 million this week.

Derivatives Positioning

• Ether’s open interest in USDT and dollar-denominated perpetual contracts on major exchanges declined to 1.93 million ETH, a four-week low. This capital outflow raises questions about the sustainability of ETH’s nearly 18% gain over the period.
• Except for LINK and BTC, open interest declined across the top 10 tokens. OI in major Solana perpetuals slipped below 11 million SOL, threatening to invalidate the four-week uptrend.
• BTC futures activity on the CME remains subdued, but options are heating up, with open interest rising to 47.23K BTC, the highest since April. The notional OI has risen to $5.21 billion, the most since November. Some traders have been buying cheap out-of-the-money puts, prepping for a potential hotter-than-expected U.S. nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report.
• Consistent with trends on offshore exchanges, Ether’s futures open interest on the CME slipped below 2 million ETH, while the three-month annualized premium rose from 5% to 7%.
• On Deribit, BTC puts continue to trade at a premium to calls across all tenors, pointing to downside concerns.
• The seven-day volatility risk premium has retraced nearly to zero, suggesting that the implied volatility for seven days is now roughly equal to the realized volatility. In other words, investors aren’t expecting a premium to hedge against future volatility spikes, despite the U.S. jobs data due later today.
• In ETH’s case, puts are trading at a premium to calls out to the end-November expiry.
• Block flows on the OTC desk at Paradigm have been mixed, with a BTC $116K call lifted alongside an ether $4K put.

Market Movements

• BTC is up 1.71% from 4 p.m. ET Thursday at $112,306.62 (24hrs: +1.4%)
• ETH is up 2.14 at $4,398.33 (24hrs: -0.19%)
• CoinDesk 20 is up 1.85% at 4,050.32 (24hrs: +0.28%)
• Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is up 1 bps at 2.88%
• BTC funding rate is at 0.0015% (1.6425% annualized) on KuCoin

• DXY is down 0.35% at 98.00
• Gold futures are unchanged at $3,609.80
• Silver futures are unchanged at $41.42
• Nikkei 225 closed up 1.03% at 43,018.75
• Hang Seng closed up 1.43% at 25,417.98
• FTSE is up 0.26% at 9,241.13
• Euro Stoxx 50 is up 0.18% at 5,356.16
• DJIA closed on Thursday up 0.77% at 45,621.29
• S&P 500 closed up 0.83% at 6,502.08
• Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.98% at 21,707.69
• S&P/TSX Composite closed up 0.57% at 28,915.89
• S&P 40 Latin America closed up 0.49% at 2,770.29
• U.S. 10-Year Treasury rate is down 1.5 bps at 4.161%
• E-mini S&P 500 futures are up 0.21% at 6,524.25
• E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are up 0.5% at 23,787.25
• E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Index are unchanged at 45,664.00

Bitcoin Stats

• BTC Dominance: 58.73% (unchanged)
• Ether to bitcoin ratio: 0.03914 (0.82%)
• Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 973 EH/s
• Hashprice (spot): $52.48
• Total Fees: 4.86 BTC / $537,022
• CME Futures Open Interest: 133,775 BTC
• BTC priced in gold: 31.6 oz
• BTC vs gold market cap: 8.92%

Technical Analysis

• The ether-bitcoin (ETH) ratio is looking to top the Ichimoku cloud on the weekly chart. Crossovers above the cloud are said to confirm a bullish shift in momentum.
• The pair has already topped the descending trendline, characterizing the three-year-long downward trend.

Crypto Equities

• Coinbase Global (COIN): closed on Thursday at $306.80 (+1.49%), +1.53% at $311.49 in pre-market
• Circle (CRCL): closed at $117.49 (-0.82%), +0.54%% at $118.12
• Galaxy Digital (GLXY): closed at $22.91 (-6.07%), +1.27% at $23.20
• Bullish (BLSH): closed at $49.01 (-9.68%), +1.27%% at $49.63
• MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $15.11 (-4.91%), +1.52% at $15.34
• Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $13.16 (-2.16%), +1.98% at $13.42
• Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $113.62 (+0.29%)
• CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $9.08 (-3.81%), +1.1% at $9.18
• CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI): closed at $29.17 (-4.98%)
• Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $29.17 (-0.08%), +2.84% at $25.00

Crypto Treasury Companies

• Strategy (MSTR): closed at $327.59 (-0.81%), +2.2% at $334.86
• Semler Scientific (SMLR): closed at $13.62 (+0.29%)
• SharpLink Gaming (SBET): closed at $15.43 (-8.26%), +2.53% at $15.82
• Upexi (UPXI): closed at $6.33 (-4.52%), +2.69% at $6.50
• Mei Pharma (MEIP): closed at $4.27 (-5.74%), +1.87% at $4.35

ETF Flows

Spot BTC ETFs

• Daily net flows: -$222.9 million
• Cumulative net flows: $54.63 billion
• Total BTC holdings ~1.29 million

Spot ETH ETFs

• Daily net flows: -$167.3 million
• Cumulative net flows: $13.19 billion
• Total ETH holdings ~6.52 million

Source: Farside Investors

Chart of the Day

• The chart shows the Solana memecoin launchpad Pump.fun’s purchases of its native token, PUMP.
• The platform snapped up $12,192,383 in PUMP tokens last week, offsetting the total circulating supply by over 5%.

While You Were Sleeping

• Stablecoin Group Tether Holds Talks to Invest in Gold Miners (Financial Times): Tether, which already holds $8.7 billion in gold bars, is considering investments across the gold supply chain, with its CEO saying the metal is a complement to bitcoin.
• Bitcoin Bulls Should Keep an Eye Out for Spike In Key Bond Market Index (CoinDesk): The recent sharp rise in the MOVE index, a key gauge of volatility in U.S. Treasuries, often signals tighter liquidity, which curbs demand for risk assets such as bitcoin.
• Bitcoin Hits $113K as BTC Dominance Approaches Two-Week High of 59% (CoinDesk): Bitcoin’s move came as $3.28 billion in options expired at 08:00 UTC on Deribit near Friday’s $112,000 “max pain” point, where options buyers face the biggest losses.
• Hong Kong’s Digital Bond Market Gains Steam With Fresh Offerings (Bloomberg): Digital bonds, debt securities that use the blockchain for issuance, trading and settlement, are gaining traction in Hong Kong, with the government offering subsidies of up to HK$2.5 million ($320,500) per offering.
• Venezuelan Military Aircraft Fly Near U.S. Warship in ‘Provocative Move’, Pentagon Says (Reuters): Venezuela’s action followed two days after a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying narcotics killed 11, an act criticized by some legal scholars and one Democratic congresswoman.
• Bitcoin Crash Brewing? Trader Plans Bids at $94K, $82K for Potential Market Freakout (CoinDesk): The president of Spectra Markets sees bitcoin at an inflection point, citing fading bullish drivers, a bearish double top and halving cycle history as reasons for placing bids at $94,000 and $82,000.

In the Ether

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, is reportedly discussing deepening its investment in gold mining companies as part of its wider expansion strategy.

According to a Sept. 5 Financial Times report, the company has held discussions with mining and investment groups to explore opportunities across the entire gold supply chain.

If the plan materializes, it would allow Tether to participate in every stage of the process, from mining and refining to trading and royalties.

Tether has not responded to CryptoSlate’s request for comment as of press time.

Meanwhile, the discussions coincide with renewed strength in the gold market.

Investors seeking safe-haven assets during the current global economic environment have pushed the precious metal’s price to a new all-time high of $3,550 per ounce.

This price rally has created a favorable backdrop for Tether’s interest in the sector.

Tether’s gold embrace

Tether’s reported interest in gold mining builds on its earlier moves into the sector.

The company spent nearly $90 million in June to secure a controlling stake in Canadian royalty firm Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. The deal involved purchasing 78.4 million common shares from La Mancha Investments, giving Tether 31.9% ownership and the option to raise its stake to 50%.

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On Sept. 4, the stablecoin issuer agreed to expand its stake in the gold-focused firm by acquiring an additional $100 million worth of the company shares.

Beyond equity deals, Tether already issues Tether Gold (XAUT), a leading gold-backed digital token. The firm disclosed in July that XAUT is backed by more than 7.66 tons of gold stored in Switzerland.

Notably, Tether has also reported that its gold holdings represent over 5% of the reserves for its USDT stablecoins.

Tether’s expansion into gold signals a strategy of linking tangible assets with blockchain finance at a time when both safe-haven demand and stablecoin adoption are rising

USDT dominance continues

While expanding into gold, Tether’s core business remains unmatched in the crypto industry.

Data from Token Terminal shows that USDT transfer volumes reached a record $1.32 trillion in August, facilitated by 14 million unique addresses.

With a circulating supply exceeding $170 billion, USDT represents 59.2% of the $288 billion stablecoin market.

That scale makes it the sector’s most important token, cementing its role as the backbone of global crypto liquidity.

Mentioned in this article

Tether abandoned plans to freeze its dollar-pegged USDT tokens on several older blockchains and is choosing instead to classify them as “unsupported,” according to an Aug. 29 statement.

The change applies to networks such as Bitcoin Cash, Kusama, EOS, and Algorand, among others. Users will still be able to move tokens across wallets, but Tether will no longer issue or redeem USDT on those platforms.

The shift came after weeks of community pushback over the company’s original plan, which would have locked tokens in place and left them non-transferable.

‘Unsupported’ classification

In June, Tether had outlined a transition that would begin Sept. 1, 2025, with all USDT on the affected blockchains frozen and excluded from redemptions.

The move was framed as a way to streamline operations by cutting off support for networks that accounted for a negligible share of the stablecoin’s activity. Under that plan, tokens would have remained visible on-chain but effectively stranded without any movement or redemption path.

Following sustained criticism from developers and users on smaller ecosystems like EOS and Algorand, Tether retreated from a hard freeze. The firm said the revised approach “aligns with its broader strategy” while avoiding reputational damage.

The compromise allows Tether to wind down low-volume chains without provoking backlash from users who would have been locked out of their assets.

Pivot toward Bitcoin

The announcement came just one day after Tether disclosed plans to issue a native USDT on Bitcoin using the RGB protocol.

Unlike wrapped tokens that rely on custodial bridges, RGB integrates directly with Bitcoin’s scripting and client-side validation, making USDT part of the Bitcoin ecosystem’s security model.

USDT remains most heavily concentrated on Ethereum and Tron, each with more than $80 billion in circulation, alongside smaller footprints on Solana and a few other networks.

The decision to drop support for legacy chains signals tightening resources on platforms with higher adoption while staking new ground on Bitcoin.

Mentioned in this article

The recent passage of the GENIUS Act introduced a new regulatory framework for stablecoins, such as Tether (USDT), drawing increasing attention from traditional and cryptocurrency firms.

Tether’s Regulatory Challenges And Rising Rivals

With the stablecoin market growing from $120 billion in October 2023 to $288 billion as of August, Tether’s USDT continues to hold its position as the largest stablecoin. 

However, the Motley Fool team has identified three emerging contenders that are poised to disrupt the company’s dominance and present significant competition.

Tether commands nearly 60% of the stablecoin market, but it has not been without controversy. In 2021, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined Tether $41 million for “misleading claims” regarding its reserves, which were allegedly not fully backed by US dollars. 

Furthermore, Tether’s current reporting practices do not align with the requirements set forth by the recently passed GENIUS Act, which mandates stablecoin issuers to publish monthly disclosures about their reserves. 

Notably, the stablecoin issuer only provides these reports on a quarterly basis, potentially opening the door for competitors to capture some of its market share, at least in the United States.

Related Reading

Among the most prominent challengers highlighted is USD Coin (USDC), which boasts a market capitalization of approximately $68 billion. Like Tether, USDC is a fiat-backed stablecoin; however, it has not faced any legal scrutiny regarding its reserves. 

The issuer, Circle, has consistently published monthly attestations since USDC’s inception in 2018. The Motley Tool team asserts that this commitment positions USDC as Tether’s primary competitor, especially as regulatory compliance becomes increasingly crucial. 

The competitive landscape is further complicated by regulatory developments in Europe. Under the European Union’s Market in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), stablecoin issuers must obtain regulatory approval and meet strict reserve requirements. 

Circle has already achieved compliance with both USDC and its Euro stablecoin, EURC, while Tether has opted to withdraw from the European market entirely.

A New Contender With Ties To XRP

Another contender is Dai, now rebranded as USDS, which differentiates itself by adhering to the principles of decentralization. Unlike Tether and USDC, Dai is managed by Sky, previously known as MakerDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization. 

This structure allows anyone holding SKY governance tokens to participate in decision-making processes concerning Dai. Rather than being backed by fiat reserves, Dai is a crypto-backed stablecoin, relying on overcollateralized crypto loans. 

Lastly, Ripple USD (RUSD) enters the fray as a smaller player with a market cap of around $667 million. Despite its size, the Motley Fool asserts that RUSD’s connection to XRP makes it a formidable competitor. 

Related Reading

Ripple, the company behind XRP, has launched RUSD as part of its payment solutions for financial institutions, focusing on efficient cross-border transactions. 

Additionally, RUSD has received regulatory approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services, which adds a layer of credibility and could help it gain traction in the market.

Despite the potential threat, Tether’s figures far surpass those of these three challengers. This suggests that the firm’s reign in the stablecoin market may continue for some time. One thing is certain, though: stablecoins are making a notable entrance into the broader financial landscape.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com